A supplement to The Morning-exercise at Cripple-Gate, or, Several more cases of conscience practically…

9. This is the first and great command, in respect of the lastingness of it.¹ Thou shalt love the Lord thy God, it is not only spoken after the Hebrew^(e) way of commanding, but it notes singular perseverance. Most of the other commands expire with the world, as all or most of the commands of the second table; but this remains and flourishes more than ever. When Repentance and Mortification, which now take up half our life; when Faith which is now (as it were) Mother and Nurse to most of our Graces; when Hope which now upholds weak faith in its languors, when all these (shall as it were) dye in travail, perfection of grace being then in the birth: love to God shall then be more lively than ever. That love which (as it were) passed between God and the Soul in letters and tokens; shall then be perfected in a ⟨p. 12⟩full enjoyment. Our love was divided among several objects, that cut the banks, and weakened the stream; henceforth it shall have but one current. Our love is now mixed with fear (fear of missing, or losing what we love) but that fear shall be banished. There shall never be any distance, never any thing to provoke jealousy, never any thing to procure cloying, never any thing more to be desired than is actually enjoyed. Is not this then the first and great Commandment? is it not our privilege and happiness to be swallowed up in it? this may suffice to evidence it to be our duty; But then,

9. This is the first and great command, in respect of the lastingness of it.¹ Thou shalt love the Lord thy God, it is not only spoken after the Hebrew^(e) way of commanding, but it notes singular perseverance. Most of the other commands expire with the world, as all or most of the commands of the second table; but this remains and flourishes more than ever. When Repentance and Mortification, which now take up half our life; when Faith which is now (as it were) Mother and Nurse to most of our Graces; when Hope which now upholds weak faith in its languors, when all these (shall as it were) dye in travail, perfection of grace being then in the birth: love to God shall then be more lively than ever. That love which (as it were) passed between God and the Soul in letters and tokens; shall then be perfected in a